conscious construction & doing things yourself
The Van
Ford Transit
I went for a 2014 Ford Transit panel van, with a medium wheelbase and high roof. I chose Ford for their reliability and accessible labour & parts. The medium wheelbase will provide me plenty of space to live & work, whilst still fitting comfortably into UK parking spaces. The high roof allows me to stand inside the van when cooking and working, plus the ample headroom is great for upper storage. The Ford also has straighter walls which makes a great shape for building and the wider van allows me to sleep width ways.
The Design
Colour Story
Moodboard
For the tone of the van I shall be going for a neutral earthy palette
Brightening up the space with light sand coloured walls & counter top
Then a complementary ash toned wood for the lower cabinets and flooring
Adding rich earthy shades with a copper sink & lots of leafy greens
Pulling in darker tones with a matt black faucet & exposed metal features
Also using lots of natural textures & fibres like linen, wood & ceramics
Ventilation
Its super important to have air flow in your vehicle, this will not only help to cool the space by pushing air around, but also extract moisture from cooking and showering.
Window
Having a window you can open will allow your fan to draw fresh air from the outside and circulate a cool breeze throughout the van, preferably with a fly net to prevent bugs getting in.
A roof-light is another way to allow air to flow into your van, left on the catch it will allow a constant flow of fresh air from the outside, removing excess moisture that builds up & could cause mould.
The Floor
Building A Cork Insulated Subfloor
Since I'll be using the van in all four seasons, I wanted to build a full insulated subfloor to make sure my van stays nice and cool/toasty during those trips. So I decided to go with cork granule insulation, for this I needed to build a frame to house the insulation so here's how I did it.
The Build Stages
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Paint Floor To Prevent Rust
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Adhere 9mm Ply Levellers
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Fit Water & Shower Drains
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Drill Diesel Exhaust Hole
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Make Tyre Release Hatch
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Build 2x1 Wooden Frame
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Sound Deaden The Floor
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Fill With Cork Insulation
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Adhere Walkway Wood Tops
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Lay 12mm Varnish Plywood
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Fix Diesel Heater In Place
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Seal With Flexible Sealant
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Lay Tough Garage Floor
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Fit Underfloor Heating Film
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Lay Nice Walkway Flooring
Insulation
Cork
Floor Insulation
Cork is the bark of the Quercus Suber tree, a natural material free from chemicals & toxins, which is water and fire resistant. With a high R-Value of 4.2, making it a great insulator. It also has acoustic dulling properties and is lightweight. Plus the granules are a by-product from the cork board industry which helps to reduce waste.
sheepswool
Wall Insulation
Sheepswool has great thermal & acoustic insulating properties, with a high R-Value of 4.3. It's 100% natural, fire resistant and free from chemicals & toxins. It's a hygroscopic material, so absorbs moisture and releases it when heated, which doesn't effect its insulating properties, so perfect for combating condensation on the van walls. Plus it's mould resistant.